The Best (And Worst) Of Me
by NotANerd133
Summary: Asami Sato slowly falls for new girl Korra Waters. As the school year continues, however, the world of dancing threatens to ruin their relationship. Against all odds, she's determined to save what they have despite their conflicting futures - Asami's POV. Korrasami Dancer AU. R&R!
1. The Beginning: Part One

_**The Best (And Worst) Of Me**_

_**Dancer AU**_

_**The Beginning: Part One**_

* * *

_"One, two, three, four...And one, two, three four..."_

I kept my eyes closed, wanting to feel the movement of my feet. No music played, but I imagined the gentle sound of soothing classical music in the background.

Halfway through my dance routine, the music halted and I tripped over my feet, landing face first on the floor.

I lifted my head up and, much to my dismay, my teacher Suyin Beifong shook her head disapprovingly at me.

"I thought you said you practiced." Suyin bent down and helped me off the floor. "I can't have you running a muck on stage next week, Asami. You have to be on top of your game."

There were times where I wanted to yell at Suyin for doubting my dance abilities, but I don't dare question her. She's done this for way longer than I have and I always respect her for it. If Suyin says don't mess up, then that's exactly what you do.

The shame washed over me like rain.

My stare was focused on my pink ballet slippers. "Sorry, Mrs. Beifong." I'm sure the smile I had earlier was nowhere on my face as of now.

Suyin chuckled and I glanced at her, confused as to why she was laughing. Had I done something wrong?

She wrapped an arm around my shoulder and we walked towards the exit together. "No need to apologize, Asami." Suyin unwrapped her arm from my shoulders while she went outside the dance room. She came back smiling, a tiny box in her hands.

Suyin must of sensed my confusion because she then said, "That bracelet you wanted for your birthday is inside." She beamed. "You deserve it after all the hard work you've—"

I ran up and hugged her. "Thank you so much!" I let her go and she handed me the gift.

I said seriously, "I won't let you down."

Suyin smiled again. "I know you won't."

Grabbing my duffle bag on my way out, I waved goodbye to Suyin.

And that's when I thought of _her._

That's when I remembered about _Korra._

_'''_

It all began that morning Bolin dragged me towards the leader boards posted in the left wing of the ballet hall of Republic City Dance Academy. Only the elite were allowed in, but fortunately enough for me, none of that matters since my dad's the principal.

I knew all the students. At least I thought I did; everyone was aware of my status here so I figured they wouldn't mind if I was at the top of the list. Every week. If I wasn't, then my dad would most definitely pull that person to a lower ranking for a while. That's never good because a reputation like that sticks around.

So you can imagine the look of sheer horror on my face when I noticed someone took my number 1 spot for best dancer.

Funny thing is, I had no idea who this _Korra Waters_ girl was. Maybe I saw her name in a file in my dad's office the other day or she was in my class and I never noticed her until now. Either one was plausible.

Bolin placed his hand on my shoulder. "You okay?"

I shrugged it off. "I'm okay." I couldn't pry my green eyes away from the bulletin board. "Do you know her?"

His mouth frowned in concentration, then a grin spread across his face. I've seen that look a few times on him and it always means he's up to something. Whatever it was, he wouldn't tell me. Just kept that expression for way longer he should have and boy was it creepy.

"I saw her yesterday," he said. "She's your type." He winked at me. "Definitely your type."

_Here we go again._ "Bolin," I said quietly, "I told you to stop setting me up with people I don't know." He pouted.

"Please?"

"No."

"Pretty please?"

"No."

"Pretty please with a cherry on top?"

"No."

"Not your type?"

"Not my type."

Before he had any chance to continue, I cut him off. "The day Korra Waters becomes my girlfriend is the day Opal Beifong finally asks you out."

"Shut up!" He yelled. "The guy asks the girl out, Asami. Not the other way around."

I shook my head at him. "Sure, Bolin." The bell rung loudly. Classes were about to start.

He hugged me goodbye. "See you later!" Bolin sprinted down the hallway, but it wouldn't do him any good. He was your usual late to class guy.

People gathered around the ranking board, oblivious that the had bell rung. It didn't help that I watched them as they did. Maybe I wanted to see how they reacted to my second place spot or, better yet, have them ask how I feel about it. Sometimes I took advantage of my status.

And more people continue trying their hardest to be _my_ friend.

I know what you're thinking: What's wrong with having friends? Nothing. Except, when you're a girl like me, you start questioning the reason why people hang out with you. I'll spare you the details and get straight to the point. The point is that you aren't befriended for who you are as a person rather you're befriended because of who you are as a person. Everyone recognizes me as Asami Sato; the girl who's dad is the principal (and rightful owner) of the school, the girl that has tons of cash that'll last her a lifetime, and the girl who loves dancing. The last one I don't have a problem with. It's the other two that gets on my nerves.

Thankfully, this is my final year here at Republic City Dance Academy. After I graduate, I won't have to handle the pressure anymore. I just have to keep the snotty charade on for a little while longer and then I'll be free.

I was brought out of my thoughts when a student rushed towards me. He had a camera strapped around his neck and a black tuxedo on. His eyes were a nice shade of amber. I've seen him around in the building's Photography department a few times, but we've never really talked.

He smiled, his perfectly white teeth showing. "Do you mind if I take a quick picture of you?"

"I'd love to! Your name is...?" The boy seemed familiar, but I couldn't remember where we met. Another typical case of my forgetfulness.

He took a step back and positioned the camera from around his neck properly as I posed for the picture. "Mako." And with that I heard the snap of the camera as I forced a smile.

I stood beside Mako, both of us admiring the picture. He nudged my ribs with his elbow.

"You look great." He flashed me another smile. "Amazing as always."

_Amazing as always?_ I raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

Mako blushed. Oh, and he stuttered. "You, you, you're always...I mean, you look...Yeah. Amazing."

"Thanks." We stood in the hallway as the semi huge crowd that was there before began to disperse. The words that left my mouth soon after shocked me. "Want to have lunch with me later?"

_Stupid! You just met him! As if he's actually going to say—_

"Yes."

And I recall skipping down the hallway that morning in pure excitement and happiness.

_'''_

I walked casually inside the classroom only to hear Suyin talking to another student.

"You must have me confused with my sister, Lin Beifong." She said, taking the schedule from the girl. "Her class is right next door."

From where I was standing, I could see the back of the girl's body. Her brown hair was tied in a ponytail and she had on blue shorts with a blue sports bra. Her dark skin was very exotic. Almost instantly, I knew she was of Water Tribe ethnicity. There aren't many of them enrolled at the school, so the chance of actually seeing them was pretty rare.

Before I knew it, I found myself speaking.

"Suyin?"

Said woman glanced in my direction and I realized I was still standing near the entrance. I walked up to her and the Water Tribe girl who was now aware of my very presence.

Suyin glanced at the clock on the wall. She frowned and, once again, I had disappointed her.

"You're late." It wasn't usual for me to come late to class, but today was different. The leader board results really surprised me, shocked me even. I was so focused on that and the boy I met that hadn't thought about myself being late. I expected her to ask why I was late. She never asked.

She already knew.

I explained myself anyway. "I went to go check the leader boards."

"So you saw my score, then?" The final piece of the puzzle was found. It was in that moment where I finally stared at the girl with the big blue eyes.

"That's you? _You're_ Korra Waters?" Despite my attempts at not sounding too astounded, I kind of did.

"The one and only." She said it with lots of pride. Korra's smile was brighter than the light of a thousand suns.

"I'm guessing you've met my father?"_ Hopefully, she didn't._

Korra's brows furrowed and she tilted her head to the side adorably.

_Did I just say adorable?_

"Who's your dad?" Korra's ponytail ran past her shoulder. "Why would I know him?"

It should be easy for me to explain that information because I've explained it plenty of times before but for some completely unknown reason, I just couldn't. More stuttering than actual words were coming out of my mouth and I felt the heat rush up to my pale cheeks.

Suyin must of felt my nervousness. "Hiroshi Sato is Asami's father and also the principal of the school, Korra." She glanced at me and I mouthed a quick "thank you" in her direction. When I glanced away, Korra was giving me her full attention.

"Yeah," she said, hands on hips. "I did meet him. Dude's a bit of a grouch, if you ask me..."

_Of course he is. _

"Korra," Suyin interrup—nope, she didn't_ interrupt_ anything because there wasn't anything to interrupt, "you've been here for a week and you're confusing my class for Lin's."

"Oh!" Korra exclaimed. "I may have pissed her off? Angered her?" She shrugged, lifting one shoulder. "She said something about me being a show off and kicked me out of her classroom. The nerve of some people!"

I laughed. "It's perfectly fine. She does that a lot when it comes to new students."

"Seriously?" I nodded. "Well, does that mean I can go back to her class now?"

Suyin chuckled. "Yes, Korra. You can go back to her class."

She threw her fist in the air. "Yes!" Korra took off, leaving me and Suyin alone.

"She's nice." Suyin moved past me, going to get the ballet bar. I went to help her remove it from the corner. As we were doing that, she said, "I like her."

"Mmm."

I began my stretching on the ballet bar soon after, but I couldn't focus. Suyin stared at me strangely and I kept thinking I was doing something wrong. I found out that that wasn't why she was looking at me at all.

"You like her, I'm assuming?"

I didn't let the question faze me. "She's alright."

"Alright?"

Things just picked up from there.

_'''_

During lunch, Bolin made it his honor to treat me like a queen. He mentioned my high "celebrity" status as one of the reasons. To be honest, I wasn't feeling up to it. My earlier conversation with Suyin plagued my mind and I couldn't shake the strange sensation that came after it.

_"Yes." I answered. "Alright." The clipped tone I spoke in would most likely mean that I wouldn't want to continue the conversation. I know myself better than anyone else does. Honestly, the woman had never been concerned about my social life (if that's what this talk was even about) so of course I was agitated. Sometimes, the teachers tend to get their noses in my business when I don't them to. Though, it does depend on the situation._

_If you could even call this that._

_She nodded and I swear she was smirking, her eyes burning holes in the back of my head while I was stretching. "You said the same thing about your last boyfriend."_

_I had finished stretching, or rather, decided I had done enough of it for the last 10 minutes. I recoiled, remembering how badly my last relationship ended. Iroh II and I had broken up last year on my birthday. It took me the rest of the school year and summer break to get over it. _

_And the fact that Suyin was bringing the subject up when she didn't have to was like a salt to the wound._

_"I guess I did."_

_I began practicing my plies for my dance routine. Those are always difficult for me to perform. Most of the time. _

_She kept talking. "You don't get what I'm saying, do you?"_

_Ignoring her was very tempting at the moment, but that would just prove her suspicions right. "I do." Partially. I partially understood what she was getting at. _

_"Asami," she said quietly,"the best you could do is at least try being friends with Korra."_

_"And...?" _

_"If you two start out as friends, then maybe when you start dating—"_

_I stopped practicing. My back turned towards her, I said, "There's not going to be any dating." While fixing my hair, I added, "Relationships never work out the way I want them to."_

_She left me alone after that._

But me asking out Mako earlier contradicted such a bold statement.

Sometimes, I wished my love life wasn't so complicated. I guess it's a trait I inherited from my father. My mom used to tell me stories about how they met and how ignorant he was about her feelings for him. I think that, if she were alive today, she could help me solve these problems. Not sure what good it would do, considering the number of times I've messed up a relationship. I thought maybe things would be different with Mako.

Boy was I wrong.

While walking to the cafeteria, I heard someone call my name.

"Asami!"

Turning around, green met amber and Mako wrapped his arm around me. We walked inside the cafeteria together. I received many death glares and looks of jealousy from my fellow peers. Thankfully, they all went back to eating their lunch after. Mako pulled me closer to him. Silence fell over the room. That was never a good sign. The whispering was all I could hear.

_"Why does she always take somebody else's man?"_

_"Do you think her dad bribed him?"_

_"Asami Sato's a complete sl—"_

I ignored their whispers the minute we sat down. He had pulled a seat out for me and I quickly gave him my thanks.

"So," he said, hanging his arm around my chair and pulling a small smile, "have you met the new girl?"

Out of all the questions he could of asked me (_why'd you ask me to have lunch with you? or what do you love about dancing? and even the stupid question: is your dad the principal?_), he chose this one. There was a fake smile plastered on my mouth. I'll tell you this; never have I ever regretted feeling jealous of someone I didn't know. Doesn't matter that I only spoke to the girl once this morning. She has already attracted a guy that I like and I have to admit that I'm angry about it. I had every right to be angry about it. I don't know what I was thinking when I said to him, "You like her more than me?"

He frowned and the expression on my face must of been quite jarring for him. "Don't worry, Asami. Korra and I are just friends."

"Okay." Hearing him say that didn't make me feel any better, but I didn't feel like continuing the conversation. "Can you do me a favor and buy me a bottle of water?"

He nodded. "Sure."

The second he left the table, I went outside to the outdoor cafeteria. Needless to say, I wasn't alone.

_'''_

"Hey." Korra crossed her arms as I stood next to her while she sat on the bench.

"Hey." I didn't know what to say. The jealousy I felt towards her slowly faded.

"You can leave if you want." She stared up at me, her blue eyes pleading.

I shook my head. "You looked like you needed a friend."

She frowned, the corners of her mouth twisting downward. "I don't want pity."

"That's great," I took a spot next to her on the bench, "because I wasn't here to give you any."

She smirked. "Impressive." And why was I smirking back?

We busted out laughing.

The air shifted and both of us could sense it. We kept talking about our lives and how dancing has effected us over the years. The subject of parents popped up and we began discussing about our mothers.

Korra was lively and animated. "My mom's the best cook ever! She's taught me a few times how to make her famous seaprune noodles. She was also a dancer when she was younger and has lots of medals and trophies in my parents bedroom. She's been my inspiration ever since I was a little girl."

"That's amazing, Korra."

She was going to ask about my mother. Truth is, I'm very sore about the subject. My dad and I rarely mention her at home. I miss her...

"Asami?"

I sighed. "Yeah?"

Korra hesitated at first, but what she said surprised me. "Your dad told me about your mother."

Except I wasn't shocked because everyone already knew that my mom was dead. There were plenty of photos of her adorning his office. I'm reminded of her each day I go in there. That, despite what everyone tells me, I caused her death. If it wasn't for her rushing to attend my ballet recital that one night, then she would still be here. I think my dad knows that I've placed this burden on myself yet he doesn't let me think otherwise. He's stuck with me when he doesn't want to be. I look just like his wife—something he still can't handle.

Korra gave me a worried look. "It's okay that you don't want to talk."

I nodded and closed my eyes. When I reopened them, Korra was in front of me pacing.

"Why are you—"

"What would you say if I wanted you to meet my parents?"

Bewilderment. "What?"

"You're my friend now. They love meeting my friends from school." She got on her knees and started begging. And she pouted. How could I say no to her?

"Fine," I smiled, "I'll meet your parents."

She lifted me off the bench and hugged me so tight I couldn't breath.

"Can't. Breath."

She let me go. "Sorry."

I remembered my words from earlier.

_"There's not going to be any dating."_

Gazing at Korra, I knew I was breaking my own rules.

This girl would be the death of me.

_'''_

"You did what now?" Bolin leaned against the locker beside me. The bright smile on my face was almost unrecognizable to him since I don't do it very often. "I'm looking for you at lunch and you...But how!"

I shrugged. "I was annoyed at Mako for asking about her on our, um, date? Next thing I know, I'm talking to her outside and we're already making plans for me to meet her family."

He gazed warily at me. "I was joking when I said she was your type, 'Sami."

"I figured that much, Bo." It was sweet of him to care so much. "But we aren't dating. She said her family always meet her friends for dinner."

He glanced skeptically at me while I grabbed my textbooks for my Dance History class. Bolin trusted everyone easily, but he didn't trust her. Why? I wish I knew. She seemed trustworthy enough to me. I glanced back at him to find him glaring at something, excuse me, _someone_.

It was Korra chatting it up with Mako. She kept batting her eyes at the guy and he kept smiling like a kid in a candy shop. I didn't have to hear their conversation in order to know that they were flirting. That jealousy I thought I got rid of came back full force. Before I could stop them, however, Bo grabbed my wrist.

His sparkling green eyes stared softly into mine. "I don't think that's the best idea." I listened to my voice of reason and sighed.

"You're right. I'm not sure what came over me. " _Twice_. I was extremely jealous twice. It wasn't even days. In just an hour, I was jealous twice.

And I'm convinced the root of my problem was Korra Waters.

_'''_

_This class is unreasonably long. - KW_

_This can't wait until after class? - AS_

_Nope. - KW_

_You do realize that I'm sitting right in front of you, right? You can just speak to me. - AS_

_Nah. Passing notes is better. - KW_

I shook my head at Korra's antics. I had been trying to copy down my notes for tomorrow's quiz, but that seemed impossible since Korra felt the need to pass me notes. She'd been bored for the past hour. We only had a few more minutes before this class ended. I meant to ask her about Mako and what they said to each other earlier, though I didn't have the guts to do it. Maybe I'll try bringing it up after dinner at her place.

The teacher, Master Tenzin, was lecturing us on the founders of dance. His unique way of story telling reeled me in to what we were learning.

Their names were Raava and Wan. They created an era of peace through their magnificent dance moves. The people from Wan's village nicknamed him and Raava "Avatar".

"It's a matter of great spirituality," he said, walking down the isle and glancing at the row Korra and I were seated in,"and I hope all of you will remember this legend for ages." Despite the fact that he walked away from our row and down another, he asked Korra a question.

"Do you value spirituality, Ms. Waters?"

The whole class turned to look at her and so did I. She bit her lip, eyes staring up at the ceiling in concentration. Korra frowned. "It depends." When she stopped biting her lip, Korra stared at her desk, saying, "It depends because spirituality has its pros and cons. I'd like to think of it as a type of addiction. Sometimes it's good for you, but can negatively impact your life too."

The ringing of the final school bell signaled the end of yet another school day.

And they all diverted their attention away from her.

But I just kept staring.

The loving gaze Tenzin gave her wasn't the behavior you expected from a teacher. I didn't want to suspect anything. I was only curious—what was that saying again—curiosity killed the cat? You don't give students that look so there must've been something I hadn't caught on to. I've known him ever since freshman year. I think he's mentioned Korra before and I never realized he was talking about her. It's weird because I should know and now I don't. Did he mention her?

Korra grabbed my hand which was resting on the edge of her desk. "You okay?" Even Tenzin gazed concerned at me. I squeezed her hand back, assuring her that I was fine. I let go of her dark hand and begin gathering my bag and my books.

_Too fast_. I rushed out of the classroom instead of waiting for Korra like I wanted to. Like I _planned_ to. I waited near the classroom, resting my forehead against the wall.

Korra was speaking to Tenzin. "I'll see you later?"

Later? Yeah, they weren't the typical student and teacher you'd see everyday. They definitely had to be related.

Tenzin sighed. "Hopefully. I have lots of paperwork I need to grade."

"Can't you do that at home? I'm sure Pema wouldn't mind." Korra said, and I could practically imagine her sitting on one of the desks, legs crossed. "I mean, at least you'll be surrounded by family rather than by yourself in an empty classroom late at night."

The subject changed. "I see you and Ms. Sato are friends."

I tried tuning out the rest of their conversation, but I found myself listening anyway.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Korra asked. "We're friends, so what?"

Tenzin sighed. Again. "She's the principal's daughter, Korra. I don't...I heard rumors—"

Korra cut him off. "Doesn't mean that the rumors are true. I know that I've only known her for a day, but she's pretty amazing. Well, pretty _and_ amazing. I thought she'd be mad at me for taking her top spot on the leader boards and she hadn't brought it up at all. She's been so nice to me that I asked her to have dinner with us! How great is that?"

"Very." Tenzin said, though I'm sure he hadn't meant it nicely. "I don't want you to forget your studies or distract yourself from your dancing career all because of this girl, okay?"

Korra hopped off the desk with a huff. "I won't forget, Tenzin. Does this mean I can't invite her to dinner?"

Some part of me took offense to what he said and hoped he answered no; the other part of me, you know, the hopeless romantic, was flattered because Korra genuinely wanted me to come over and have dinner with them. In that moment, I felt...I felt as if my world would be fine. Fine. I didn't have another word for it.

Tenzin still didn't answer her. I heard Korra reply sharply, "I'm bringing her anyway." And I knew she was leaving the room after having said that.

I walked quickly down the hallway towards my locker. It was then that I noticed how quiet and tranquil the school was. While opening my locker, I saw Korra approach me and she was frowning. Not a good sign.

"What's wrong?"

Korra punched the locker next to mine, clearly regretting her decision as she held her fist and quietly repeated a string of curses.

"Nothing," she gritted out angrily.

She noticed the look on my face and said, "I'm upset because of a grade Master Tenzin gave me." I nodded and she wanted us to start leaving so we could trek the walk to her house.

There was one thing I had to do first. "Can you wait outside for me? I won't take long."

She nodded. "Sure."

On my way to my dad's office, I realized that Korra had lied to me. She told me her first lie.

And that was strike number one.


	2. The Beginning: Part Two

**_The Best (And Worst) Of Me_**

**_Dancer AU_**

**_The Beginning: Part Two_**

* * *

He grabbed the family photo sitting on his cherry wood office desk. I remembered the day we took that photo. Mom was still alive and healthy, long before her tragic death struck our family, and her smile was bright. Every time I looked at the picture, I noticed how similar we were. Every time my dad looked at the picture, I thought he was glaring at my younger self. He had that look on his face while I stood near the door with my arms crossed over my chest.

"Where were you earlier?" He asked. "You're teacher told me you were late to class."

He only ever asked me about school related things. There was never anything else to talk about with him (dancing was different; it was more business for him than it was for me, but I'm just glad he allows me to continue pursuing it). Whenever I mentioned spending time together during his lunch breaks, he always said, "Maybe another day." The same thing would happen again on the weekends back at our mansion. I would stay cooped up in my bedroom until we ate breakfast. I'd go outside for the rest of the day and come back and he'd still be working in his room. Honestly, we rarely spend any time together anymore. Though, I'll admit, he tries to make an effort to take me to our favorite restaurant. Kwong's Cuisine.

"I heard my ranking was moved on the leader boards so I went to check it out."

My father scowled. "Don't you worry about those. I had a talk with the girl this morning and she won't be taking your spot again anytime soon."

There were a million thoughts running through my mind as he said that. _(Such as, what's wrong with being second or third? or why can't I just enjoy dancing? or why ruin someone's chance at being the star for once?)_ I never approved of my dad's methods for making sure I was number one. As long as I was at the top, my dad didn't care if I made stupid mistakes during my performances. All that mattered was me winning any competition I participated in (except I wouldn't call it winning since he knew the judges and that defeated the purpose of me dancing in the first place). I wanted to win fairly and not because my dad was involved.

I simply nodded. I'd tell Korra about the details on the walk to her house. That reminded me...

"Hey," I said and he stared at me, patiently waiting, "I'm going over to a friend's house for dinner."

He frowned, his eyebrows creasing. "Why?"

"She invited me, dad. It's perfectly fine."

"Who is she?"

I sighed. I had to tell him. "Korra Waters."

Red. He could possibly be seeing red. I wouldn't blame him for screaming my head off.

Bitterly, he said, "You're wasting your time on people like her, Asami."

"No," I said, though I could of, I should of left him alone, "I'm not wasting my time. She's my friend."

He grabbed the photo again and showed it to me. "Do you know what your mother would think?"

"She would want me to be happy, dad. She would want both of us to be happy."

Why couldn't he understand? I valued my dance career more than anything, but it wouldn't stop me from trying to have a normal life.

He put the picture back. "Go on and waste your time with that Water Tribe girl."

_'''_

"Asami!" Korra shouted as I walked down the Academy's steps. She was waiting for me near the crosswalk. When she saw me, she grinned. "Took you long enough!" Korra patiently waiting for me had almost boosted my current mood. Almost.

Sensing my discomfort, Korra's grin faltered. It had been difficult to tell her about my father's harsh words. Recalling what I heard Tenzin say earlier, I halted. Would she be honest with me if I were honest to her? It didn't make sense for me do that, but I've always been an open book. Korra didn't owe me anything and it was wrong of me to expect something in return.

So I confessed the information to her like a dam over flowing with water.

"My father doesn't like you too much," my words were quiet, but loud enough to be heard over the roaring engines of cars driving through the streets. Korra nodded along side me.

She took the info rather lightly, not letting it get to her. "That's fine. I get that a lot anyway." I loved how easily she could brush away comments made regarding her. However, her statement bothered me more than I thought it would. I stopped walking once we reached the sidewalk.

She turned around, folding her arms across her chest. Seemed like we had the same tick because I did that too. The autumn wind knocked her hair which was still in a ponytail. Her curculean eyes observed my expression and she stepped back a bit, realizing our height differences.

"What's up?"

_The sky_, is what I would have said, but she really was concerned. This wasn't the time to start joking. I asked her the question that boggled my mind. "You're okay with people disliking you?"

Korra eyebrows furrowed as she pondered the question. "I can tolerate them." Unsatisfied with her answer, she responded, "I've never been the best when it comes to people."

"So you understand why they dislike you?" This girl confused me on so many levels. If she knew why people didn't like her, then why didn't she try fixing her flaws?

"Yeah," a faint smile appears on her lips, "and I don't care because I love myself the way I am."

Oh. I've been so caught up in pleasing others for my father's benefit that I never once thought about being myself. I always had this air of confidence in myself on stage, during practice, everyday I went to school. The off chance of me letting that slip, even just for a minute, was only in front of Suyin or Bolin. Hearing Korra say she didn't care what others thought of her,well, it struck a chord in me. All the students I've met before have changed so others could like them and they could fit in. I didn't do it to make friends. I did it because my father would be proud and I knew that following his orders when making public appearances was everything to him. He had me wrapped around his finger like a dog on a leash.

But her words gave me reassurance and for once in my whole entire life, I understood why the girl never cared much about people's opinions. She was the best person she could be.

"Asami?" Korra asked.

"Huh? Oh!" Stupid. I felt really stupid. "Can we go to my place before we go to your house?"

"Why? You look great."

I couldn't fight the blush that covered my cheeks. "Thanks, but I can't meet your parents looking like this." I gestured towards my outfit; black flats, pink mini skirt, long sleeve white shirt and my old leather jacket. You wouldn't normally find me wearing this to a, presumably, formal dinner. Stuffing my hands in my pockets, I pouted. "Korra..."

"Fine," she said, rolling her eyes, "but make it quick because my mom's cooking her famous seaprunes!"

Grabbing her hand, which she didn't object mind you, we took off down the block.

_'''_

I don't normally walk to my "house". And by "house", I actually mean mansion. Sheer curiosity lit up on Korra's face. While walking up the steps to the front door, I heard her say, "You live in a fucking mansion?!" Huh. So she does swear...

Pushing open the door (because we lived in a high security neighborhood, the chances of the door being locked was 0 percent unless my father was home), I stood in the hallway and saw the maids cleaning the kitchen and tidying up the living room. They worked every morning and left during the evening, after they cooked dinner and desert for my father and me. I heard the door slam behind me.

"This is so...I love your home already!"

Laughing, I approached the stairs. "C'mon!"

Following me, Korra stared in wonder at the spiraling staircase.

We hadn't even known each other for that long and I slowly felt myself falling for her.

And I was falling hard.

_'''_

"You can't possibly be serious."

Opening my closet, I whipped my head to the side so fast that my own raven hair smacked me in the face. Innocently, I said, "Oh, but I am."

When I was little, my mom and I went shopping all the time even if we knew we didn't need any new clothes or shoes. It was our favorite thing to do and Dad never objected it. You never tampered with the hobbies of a mother and her daughter. That's why my closet was filled to the brim with clothes that either didn't fit me anymore, clothes that were for special occasions only, or whatever I felt like wearing to school or outdoors besides my dance outfits. Did I mention it was a walk-in closet?

Taking off my flats, I delved deeper into the organized closet space and tried locating my black heels. They fit into the 'stuff for special occasions' category. After I found them, I glanced back and saw Korra staring at me. She locked her gaze on my heels, head tilting to the side.

"You don't have to wear that. Wear sneakers or something. No heels." Korra said, quickly coming over and snatching the heels from me. I reached out to get them, but she hid them behind her back. Fine. No heels. I could do that. Shaking my head, I moved past her and found my burgundy Converses. Now I just needed an outfit.

Looking on the shelves, I smiled. Sticking out like a sore thumb was my rainbow sweatshirt. Carefully, I removed the sweatshirt from its spot underneath my black sweater and began tearing off my leather jacket. Throwing it somewhere on the floor (which it didn't considering the fact that I heard an _oomph_ seconds later), I put the rainbow sweatshirt on and shook my hair out wildly. Hearing muffled laughter, I turned and noticed Korra bent over, trying her hardest to cover her beautiful laugh by placing her hand over her mouth.

I shoved her and she fell on the floor. The laughter soon died when she raised an eyebrow at me, her blue orbs meeting my green ones.

Unknowingly, the battle had begun.

"I'd run if I were you."

And I ran faster than the speed of light.

Running out the closet, I hopped on my bed as Korra followed suit, and jumped on the bed after me. Landing on the carpeted floors, I crawled near my dresser. Korra's laughter rang in my ears while she layed upside down, her ponytail dropping to the floor.

"You," she couldn't contain her laughter, "are one fast runner." She smiled.

"Thanks," I stood up, sitting next to her on my bed. "You're not so bad yourself." Heavily aware that her and I were flirting, I blushed.

She turned over, laying on her stomach. She pulled on the strings of her navy blue hoodie. We both knew we had somewhere to be, but neither of us said anything. I still had to change out of my skirt and into my jeans, but I didn't want to. We were alone and sitting in silence and I had this chance to let her know about my past. Like, actually tell her myself. Who knows what my dad could have told her.

(There was the _slightest_ possibility that she might tell me more about herself, so that was a plus to this plan.)

It was days like this where I wished my confidence wouldn't be replaced by nervousness all because of some girl that was giving me these stupid butterflies in my stomach.

What could I do? We knew stuff about one another because one of us always instigated questions. There must've been some other way to do that without questioning and just smoothly saying things without censoring out any details.

That's when I knew.

The cassette player.

_My_ cassette player.

I know, I know. Nobody my age in the 21st century uses those anymore, but I knew of cassette's since my mom listened to them around the house when I was younger. My father thinks we got rid of them after her death, but I hid them from him. Any trace of our mother's existence was thrown out, except her photos, and it was due to him wanting to forget the past. At least I had memories of her beyond the photos and cassette tapes.

Turns out I didn't have to start anything.

Korra did it all on her own.

Her eyes landed on the cassette player resting near my nightstand on the floor. Glancing hesitantly at me, I nodded. She hopped off the bed and sat down, pressing one of the grey buttons and instantly jumping back when the tape popped out.

Shaking her head, she said, "My mom sold one of these at a garage sale before and I remember not knowing how it functions. Still don't. All I understand is that this thing somehow plays music."

"Really?" I asked, watching as she studied the label on the front of the tape. She nodded.

Without thinking, I sat down next to her and started explaining how the cassette player worked. I get like that sometimes. Maybe it's the mechanic in me speaking, but I got a kick out of explaining parts of machines and technology. They always fascinated me as a kid, partly due to my father working in his work shop fixing cars before he became the principal. If I had to choose another career other than dancing, it would have to be the fun life of an engineer.

While I was discussing who invented the cassette, Korra politely interrupted me.

She bit her lip and gazed above her, avoiding my stare. I waited until she sighed. "I wasn't being honest with you earlier." The air in the room reeked of tension. Korra shouldn't have been apologizing to me.

Again, I wasn't thinking. The truth was going to come out whether I wanted it to or not. I said, "Neither was I." There. I said it and it felt good. I felt good. The nervousness in my stomach had finally vanished. I hadn't even told my side of the story yet somehow I knew she wouldn't be mad at me. How? I have no idea.

Korra looked me in the eyes and I noticed our close proximity. Our shoulders were practically touching and our hands were also close. Whispering, she said, "So that was you I heard outside the classroom." What? She heard me? "Guess you eavesdropped on Tenzin and me. I'm sorry. I should have told you what he said—"

"Don't worry, Korra." I said, cutting her off. "If I were you I would have done the same thing. Besides, you defended me and for that I'm grateful. Thank you. Oh and, uh, I'm sorry too. For the eavesdropping, I mean."

She grinned. "I'm glad to have been your knight in shining armor, Ms. Sato."

"And I am glad to have been rescued by you, Ms. Waters."

"Oh please, do call me Korra."

We both giggled, tears spilling from our eyes. The buzzing of Korra's phone in her back pocket made us both freeze, realization dawning on our faces.

"The dinner!"

Quickly, I scrambled to find my jeans and put my sneakers on while Korra was on the phone.

"I'm doing something!"

"Look, you'll know when I get there!"

"What?"

"I never invited him. Tell him to leave!"

"But mom!"

After I finished what I had to do, which included getting my purse, Korra took my hand and we rushed down the stairs, out the front door, and all I could hear was her muttering, "Shit, why is he there?"

Little did I know that the he Korra was referring to turned out to be Mako.

_'''_

Awkward.

Everything was just...awkward.

The moment we reached the front porch of her house (where the yard was decorated with potted plants, garden gnomes, the water hose laid across the grass like a snake, and lights that glowed down the path as if this were the runway that planes would land on), the door opened, yellow light highlighting the adult figure basking in it. The adult was none other than Korra's mother. As we got closer, I studied her appearance.

Her brown hair was tied into two neat braids that went past her shoulders, eyes the same color as her daughter's, minus the current scowl she was giving her, lips forming a straight line until she saw me and her expression softened. The straight line was gone, her smile taking its spot.

We were ushered inside and I was met with the sight of children. Three of them.

Now, I must warn you. Many of my life experiences were primarily disregarded of children. I'm an only child and really don't have any other family members other than my own dad. I've never been around kids who looked up to me. Scratch that. If these kids even did that.

Why am I always stuck in these _stupid—_

"Korra bought a girl home!"

Panic surged through my heart.

Two children ran towards me. One was a boy and the other one was a girl. The boy had no hair and crystal clear eyes while the girl had dark brown ones. Both of them had on striped pajamas. I didn't know why considering that we were about to eat dinner, but I'm guessing these kids were rebelling against their parents.

The girl with her hair in two buns fired questions at me. "Who are you? Why are you dressed like that? How do you know Korra? Are you two dating?" By the time she got to her last question, my face was as red as a tomato. Luckily, Korra rushed to my side and stopped her.

"Ikki!" Korra yelled, then she bent down to the younger girl's height and whispered, "Stop embarrassing me!"

Ikki, who placed her hands behind her back and stared innocently at her, replied, "I'm sorry, Korra. I promise I won't embarrass you for the whole night." Smile. The real sweet smile you would expect from well behaved girls.

Meanwhile, the boy began tugging on my sweatpants. He said, "You're so pretty."

I wasn't completely thrown off by the compliment and I found it really cute. I just nodded.

"What are you doing here?"

I knew the voice all too well. He made his way over and looked between the both of us. Korra answered for me.

"I invited her," she said, hands on her hips. "Does that bother you?"

That awkwardness I mentioned earlier? Yeah, it was as clear as day yet nobody referenced it. I didn't even bother looking at Mako when Korra said that. I mean, how am I suppose to react? I don't feel bad for him because he deserved it. Matter of fact, why was he here? She never invited him.

My thoughts were answered when Mako spoke. "Yes, it does. We have an assignment due in two weeks and we haven't even started! We discussed this morning how you're suppose to come to my house so we can get get some work done. But, no, you would rather hang out with Asami and not call me and reschedule for tomorrow."

"That doesn't explain why you have any right to be mad at me for inviting her." Korra said.

"Because you didn't tell me! I'm your friend, too! You could have invited me!""

They were talking about me, but I didn't make any attempt to stop them. Dejectedly, I left and followed the kids into the dining room.

Maybe food would brighten my mood.

"Hello," I said towards the child I hadn't talked to the moment I walked through the door. She had her face hidden by a book. Immediately, I knew she was the oldest and mature sibling. Her brown eyes peered at me as she put the book down. Unlike her siblings, she just wore her school uniform. The plaid skirt and the black and white blazer and complete with a tie to tie it altogether (puns) put my outfit to shame.

"Hello. I'm Jinora." she said, holding her hand out. I shook it. She politely asked, "How did you and Korra meet?"

I told her the story and she giggled.

"That's my cousin, alright." she said, clutching her book to her chest. "She'll do the stupidest things to get anyone's attention."

"So, you're saying she did intentionally try to go to the wrong class? All that trouble just to meet me?" I felt hope bubble inside me at the thought.

Jinora nodded. "Korra may not think her decisions through most of the time, but she does everything for a reason."

"What reason did she have for wanting to meet me?"

Jinora shrugged. "Who knows? No offense, but you aren't exactly her type."

I could tell from her amused expression that she was joking. "Hey!"

Our conversation was interrupted as Korra stepped into the dining room. Her eyes had lost their light and her lips twisted down; whether her and Mako's chat had somehow saddened her, I was determined to cheer her up. My role for the night may have been as house guest, but that title didn't steer me from doing what I do best: making people happy.

Sometimes, helping others with their own problems made me forget about mine. The time dedicated was short lived, I knew that, yet I wanted myself to enjoy the moment for what it was. Live in the now and, you know, deal with the consequences later. Every minute was worth it.

My mission: Make Korra happy.

What I didn't plan on: The hardships of my own happiness getting in the way.

_'''_

Let me explain what happened because it is one hell of a story.

First off, good news, Korra's parents loved me. I made a really good impression. Even the children loved me. Even Pema, who I found out was Korra's Godmother, liked me. I had that sort of effect on people. However, my charm couldn't work on everybody.

And by everybody, I just mean Tenzin.

During dinner, he wouldn't acknowledge me or laugh at my jokes. It seemed that I was invisible to him. Now, I didn't let his attitude ruin my night, so I simply ignored the nagging feeling in my chest that told me to leave. I distracted myself by eating the salad in front of me. The grip I had on my fork tightened and I stabbed the food on my plate. I glanced sideways and caught Korra's gaze. She shook her head.

"Sorry," she whispered.

I really hoped that I wouldn't mess up anything, but I think that in that moment I did. I couldn't help glancing around me and noticing Tenzin's face. He wasn't looking at me, most likely Korra, probably sensing the mood shift. Then, and only then, did he finally give me any attention.

The nagging feeling came back. You shouldn't have come. He doesn't want you here.

Fighting the voice in my head was pointless. All I knew was that one minor slip up was currently effecting me. I make mistakes all the time. Why should I let this bother me?

"Korra?" I asked, putting my fork down while leaning back in my chair.

"Yeah?" she said, twisting her body around so she could face me.

"I feel like I'm kind of intruding on your family's dinner."

She stared at me in disbelief. "What? You aren't intruding on anything."

I whispered, "Tenzin doesn't like me, Korra. I shouldn't be here."

She searched my face for any sign that I was kidding. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her hand hesitantly try and reach for mine, but at the last second she pulled back. I inwardly winced. She mumbled a quick okay and pushed her chair back.

While she was getting up she said, "Asami isn't feeling well so I'm gonna walk her home." The adults gave me worrying looks (except Tenzin; figures).

One of them, Korra's father Tonraq, asked, "Do you want me to drive you home?"

Before I could say anything, Korra said, "Her house is in walking distance Dad so she doesn't need a ride there."

I said my goodbyes and followed Korra out the door.

It really was a rough night.

_'''_

"How was dinner with your _friend_?" My father asked and I knew from the deep pit of my stomach he was trying to provoke me. His overly friendly tone made sure of that. Never mind him. I wouldn't let him get the satisfaction.

"I had a great time!" I replied excitedly. "They really liked me, too."

I stayed near the spiraling staircase as he got up off the elegant reclining chair in the living room. With every step he took towards me, I hoped he wouldn't see the past my facade. I hoped I could run upstairs and stay locked in my room until school the next day and just pretend tonight didn't happen. But I knew there was no possibility of Korra or Mako _not_ bringing it up tomorrow—

"Shame they didn't drive you back home." he said, shaking his head slowly. "That would have been the proper thing to do."

I tried my best at defending them. "They were gonna drive me but Korra thought it would be better if she walked me home instead."

He still wouldn't budge. "How irresponsible of those people. Letting a child walk another child home by themselves. Disgusting."

My fists hurt from clenching them so tight at my sides. I didn't understand him and his hatred for Korra. She never did anything to me or him. I knew that he valued my career above everything else, but I saw nothing wrong with making friends along the way. I'm surprised he even let me befriend Bolin if this was his problem. But then something he said earlier caught my attention.

_You're wasting your time on people like her._

Luckily, he left me alone to go back in the living room. I ran up the stairs and into my bedroom, slamming the door shut. I jumped on my bed and laid on side. I was sure sleep wouldn't come easy tonight. I remembered the first strike had been Korra lying to me and as much as I hated to admit it, I too striked out on the first try. I could've acted better and not let Tenzin scare me off. For all I knew, Korra and Mako probably didn't want me to talk to them anymore. I was gonna fix everything tomorrow.

I wasn't letting the guilt eat me alive.

* * *

**A/N- Interesting fact: Half of this was already four months ago, but I got writer's block and didn't finish this chapter until today. Not sure when the next update is though I am continuing it since you all like it. Thanks for the favorite and follows and reviews.**

**Until next time,**

**~nerd**


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